Playing Music…

in front of people is easy. There’s energy. There’s the emotion of the moment. There’s light and sound and people who will be watching you for only a small period of time. After all the set ups and the sound checks its almost a relief to start playing.

Playing in a studio is brutal. The songs are parts and not wholes so there’s nobody to cover your mistakes. There’s no audience for energy, just people looking at you and your music, exposed, naked, with everything on tape so there’s nowhere to hide. On stage its a few hours, tops, and you’re done. In the studio it can be days. Every bad moment from the week finds its way inside. All of it is about hurry up and wait. What’s merely annoying in lighter moments becomes odious in the confines of a studio. Then, when everything is done you need to do it all over again. Because you can. Be cause you’re driven by perfection or afraid of humiliation.

I was in the studio today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Enough said.